Orezone Applies for the Bombore Mining Permit

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwired - May 27, 2015) - Orezone Gold Corporation (TSX:ORE) ("the Company") is pleased to announce that a mining permit application has been submitted to the government of Burkina Faso for the construction and operation of its wholly owned Bomboré gold project. The application is based upon the recently announced positive Feasibility Study (April 28, 2015) and includes an environmental and social impact assessment ("ESIA") and a relocation action plan ("RAP") for the local people affected by the project. Discussions with the local population are well underway with respect to the RAP, including the selection of the relocation sites and the compensation package. The Company adheres to Equator Principles and follows the Burkina Faso technical and fiscal policy guidelines, as it has successfully done in the past (2008 Essakane Mine Permit) in order to achieve a positive and agreeable outcome with all stakeholders.

The four to eight month permitting process includes public hearings and a complete review by the Ministry of Mines and Energy¹ (MEE) and the Ministry of Environment and Durable Development² (MEDD) and the National Mining Commission³ (NMC), a technical panel. During a weekly cabinet session in parliament the recommendations of the NMC are reviewed and once approved, the permit is a Decree signed by the President of Burkina Faso, the Minister of Economy and Finances, the Minister of MEE and the Minister of MEDD.

Resettlement Action Plan (RAP)

Orezone, together with a group of local consultants (BEGE, SOCREGE, ARCHI CONSULT) completed as part of the ESIA, an extensive inventory assessment of the assets owned by the people affected by the project. The inventory has been reviewed and validated by those located in the northern half of the project that will be relocated during the initial phase of development. The RAP Committee, which includes representatives from all stakeholders, has been provided with an update of the ESIA as well as the Company's proposed RAP compensation package. A final and formal agreement with the communities, to be ratified by the RAP committee, should be completed in early Q3 2015 prior to the MEDD public hearings.